Someone's Watching You
by AliasCWN
Summary: The Rat's can't shake the feeling that they are being watched and a series of incidents seem to support that theory.
1. Chapter 1

**Someone's Watching You**

By: AliasCWN

Chapter 1

"Hey Tully, Hitch….hi."

"Hey Danny." Tully Pettigrew looked up from checking the tire pressure on his jeep.

"How are you doing?" Hitch called.

Danny Prentiss walked over to where Hitch sat on the fender of his jeep.

"You letting Tully do all the work again?"

Hitch laughed. "Whenever I can."

"He's not kidding either." Tully grinned at the blond as he straightened his back. "Last week he left me to get all of the supplies while he flirted with one of the new nurses."

Hitch just shrugged as Danny smiled at them.

"So what are you doing over here Danny?" Hitch asked seriously. "We don't see you over this way very often."

"I had an errand to run and I saw you drive in as I was headed back to the barracks. My friend here," Danny pointed to another soldier who stood quietly behind him, "wanted to meet you guys. He says he has been hearing stories about you guys ever since he landed in North Africa."

"He doesn't believe them, I hope." Hitch laughed again. "Most of those stories have changed so much that we don't even recognize them, and we were supposed to be there when they happened."

Danny shrugged as he motioned his friend forward. "You'll have to ask him, I just said that I could introduce you. This is Jed Gardner. Jed, this is Tully Pettigrew and Mark Hitchcock; half of the Rat Patrol."

"The working half." Tully grinned as he offered his hand. "At least one of us is working."

Hitch slapped Tully on the shoulder as he hopped off his jeep to shake hands with Gardner. "I do my share. Who picked up all the supplies Serge requisitioned today? And I already checked my own jeep."

"Do you check your jeeps every day?" Gardner asked as he shook the blonde's hand.

"Yep, especially if we're going out soon; we have another patrol this afternoon."

"Where are you guys headed?" The question sounded off-hand, almost like an afterthought.

Tully and Hitch exchanged looks, their natural caution kicking in.

"Don't know. Serge hasn't told us yet." Hitch answered cautiously. "He'll let us know when he gets here."

"Better you than me." Danny grinned. "It's way too hot to be out in the sun getting shot at."

"It's always too hot to get shot at." Tully corrected. "I'd rather go out and come back in with no new holes in me."

"I hear you." The conversation had taken a disturbing turn and Danny tried to steer it in another direction. "Are you guys going to be around on Saturday for the baseball game? I hear the teams that are playing have some big rivalry going; it could be a good game."

"We should be here, there are no guarantees," Tully answered, "you know Serge."

"We gotta go Danny, here comes Serge." Hitchcock interrupted the conversation.

"We need to get back too." Jed replied uneasily. He eyed Troy as he approached. "I have some things that I need to get done." He started to walk away, not waiting for Danny.

"I thought that you wanted to meet the Rat Patrol." Danny hurried to catch up to Jed. "Sergeant Troy is their leader. Don't you want to meet him?" Tully and Hitch watched them walk away, puzzled as to why Jed suddenly seemed to be in a hurry to be somewhere else. He kept glancing over his shoulder, watching Troy.

"Who was that?"

Tully turned to find Troy standing beside him. "Danny Prentiss brought a friend around; said his name was Jed Gardner. The guy seemed nice enough but he's a bit strange." Tully glanced in the direction the two men had taken. They were nowhere in sight. "Danny said he wanted to meet us; said he'd heard a lot of stories about us. I guess you scared him off, he took off the minute Hitch said you were coming."

"Me?" Troy laughed.

"He saw you and he suddenly needed to be somewhere else." Tully grinned at his sergeant. "You do have that effect on people."

"Yeah." Troy scoffed. "More than likely he was afraid you'd ask him to help fix the jeep."

"No way Serge! I don't let just anybody work on this baby." Tully patted the hood of his jeep affectionately.

"Here comes Moffitt." Hitch called.

"Let's get moving then, if we hurry we can get back before dark." Troy slid into his seat.

"Where are we headed Serge?" Hitch questioned.

Troy looked up in surprise. Usually the privates waited to be told; they seldom cared to know ahead of time.

Hitch shrugged at his look. "Jed asked and we told him we didn't know. It just occurred to me, we don't know."

"Does it matter?"

Hitch shrugged again. "Not really." He didn't wait for an answer. The two privates slid into the driver's seats and waited for the order to pull out.

Troy and Moffitt smiled at each other, not sure what had just happened. Troy nodded to Moffitt and gave Hitch the directions to lead their way off the base.

The sergeants leaned back in their seats and enjoyed the ride. This close to the base, they felt relatively safe. The drivers kept their eyes on the desert, avoiding the rocks and watching the terrain ahead of them. The dunes around them were shallow ones but they were plenty deep enough to conceal trouble. Even this close to the base, the Arabs were a constant threat and a real danger.

Hitch's jeep was in the lead with Troy still giving him directions. Tully swerved off to one side to avoid the dust kicked up by the other jeep. They raced side by side, relaxed but alert. Tully grinned at Hitch as the blond looked over at him. He gave him a little wave, glad to be on the move instead of sitting around camp. The base was several miles behind them, getting further away by the minute. Moffitt, in the passenger seat, was watching for planes. The Germans had been sending them over the base on occasion, keeping everyone on their toes. Tully swerved around a rock, careful not to turn too sharply, but Moffitt gripped the dash out of reflex anyway.

Hitch glanced over again and suddenly his eyes got big behind his goggles. Tully saw his expression just as Hitch yelled a warning.

Moffitt heard the yell and turned to look at Hitch. Then he turned to look past Tully to the dunes they were passing. Two lumbering halftracks were coming around the dune aiming right for them.

As Tully stomped on the gas the gunner in the halftrack opened fire. The jeep jumped ahead and Tully pushed it as hard as he could. He swerved right and then left, making them a dodging target rather than one in a straight line. Still, the bullets were coming way too close for comfort.

Moffitt grunted and leaned to the side, falling against Tully's right arm. He quickly pulled himself upright and got a grip on the seat to keep his balance.

Tully glanced over at him, worried, but Moffitt waved him on. They continued dodging, one way and then the other, while pulling ahead of the slower, heavier vehicles. Tully could catch glimpses of Hitch's jeep out of the corner of his eye. Troy had climbed into the back and was returning fire with his 50. The other jeep was keeping pace, staying far enough away to make separate targets. They outdistanced the halftracks after what seemed to be a long chase. At a signal from Troy, Tully followed Hitch's jeep into a wadi well clear of the ambush site. The two jeeps rolled to a stop and Troy jumped from his jeep to run to Moffitt's side.

"I'm all right Troy." The Brit was quick to declare. "The bullet just grazed me; I lost my balance for a minute." He pulled his shirt out to show where a bullet had passed clean through.

Troy pulled Moffitt's shirt up to reveal a long, bloody gash across his ribs. Tully handed him a cloth and a canteen so he could clean the wound. Moffitt pulled away with a groan as the cloth touched the broken skin.

"You're right. The bullet cut a line across your ribs but it didn't penetrate; a bloody mess but not serious. We're close to home; we'll just wrap it up and get you back to the medics. They can take care of it better than I can anyway." He taped a clean pad of gauze over the wound and wrapped more gauze around the ribs.

"We ran right into that ambush." Tully drawled from his position by the jeep.

"They waited for us to pass before they started out; it almost worked." Hitch added. He was on top of the wadi watching for the halftracks.

"Almost?" Tully looked up at Hitch. "They got Moffitt."

"They could have got all of us." Troy growled. "We were lucky to spot them before they opened fire. If they had had more time to aim, it could have been a lot worse."

"That's an odd place for halftracks to wait in ambush. They could have been spotted by one of our planes or run down by one of our patrols. They don't usually sit around that close to the base." Moffitt listed the concerns that had occurred to all of them. They worried that the unusual behavior of the halftracks was a prelude to another offensive.

"We'll have to report this to the Captain. He may want to send out more patrols to keep an eye out for more ambushes." Troy finished packing the medical kit and tossed it to Tully to tuck under his seat. "Let's head back."

Back at the base:

"They were just sitting there waiting Sir. They hit us as soon as we passed the wadi." Troy had reported to Captain Boggs as soon as they had dropped Moffitt at the medical tent. "I've never seen them this close to the base before today."

"And you didn't see any other activity?" The Captain asked.

"No Sir. We circled back that way and found the tracks they made going in; they were alone."

"Odd." The Captain remarked, his face thoughtful. "I'll increase the patrols and warn them, we'll need to keep a sharp eye on all the convoys, coming and going." Troy watched as the Captain considered all the possible options at his disposal. "Is Sergeant Moffitt going to be all right?"

"Yes Sir." Troy responded. "I left him with the medics but they said he'd be fine. They are going to give him some antibiotics and tape him up."

"Good, good, I want you to go out again and see if you can find any more sign of troop movements toward our lines." The Captain stepped to the map he had hung on his wall and eyed the lines marked on it. "If they are making a move, I want to know about it."

"Yes Sir, we'll head out as soon as Moffitt is done at the hospital."

The Captain was still staring at the map with a worried expression when he dismissed the sergeant.

The motor pool:

"Hi guys. Are you back already?"

Tully and Hitch looked up from their jeeps to see Private Gardner walking toward them.

"Looks that way." Tully answered sarcastically. There was something about the way that Gardner ask that rubbed him the wrong way.

Jed Gardner kept walking until he was standing right next to the jeeps. "How'd your patrol go? You're back pretty quick."

"The patrol was about normal." Tully answered warily. "We met a few halftracks and then we came home. Nothing special."

"Anybody hurt?" As Gardner asked the question his eyes sparkled with excitement.

Tully didn't answer as Hitch came around the front of the jeep. It was Hitch who answered the question. "Just a scratch, why?"

Gardner shrugged his shoulders. "Some of the guys said they saw you head straight for the medical tent. I was just curious is all."

"You're not one of those guys who likes to hear all the gory details, are you?" Hitchcock's voice had become quiet; his tone was calm but his eyes had darkened with anger. "If that's what you want, you'd better leave."

Gardner threw his hands in the air. "No, no, I was just wondering if anyone got hurt. Don't get all mad at me. I thought Danny might ask and I wanted to be able to tell him if he asks."

At what he considered a reasonable explanation, Hitch calmed down. "Sorry, things are just a bit crazy right now."

Gardner nodded his understanding. "Are you going to go back out?"

"Probably, the Captain is going to be curious about those halftracks."

"They wouldn't send you out right away, would they?" Gardner seemed surprised.

"As soon as possible, I bet." Hitch answered.

"Here comes Serge and he's got Doc with him." Tully called. "Looks like they're ready to roll."

"Well good luck." Gardner ducked between the jeeps and went out the back of the motor pool, avoiding the sergeants.

"What was that all about?" Tully followed the other man's departure with his eyes. "Did you see how quick he took off when I said Serge was coming?"

"I saw. There is definitely something strange about that guy." Hitch had watched Gardner's hurried departure too. "I wonder how long Danny has known him." He decided that he needed to talk to Danny Prentiss alone, and soon.

"Ready to roll?" Troy called as soon as he was close.

"Yeah Serge, we're good to go." Tully answered. "How are you feeling Doc?"

"A bit stiff but fine otherwise." The British sergeant answered with a smile. "Shall we try this again?"

"Without the bullets flying, if you please." Hitch pleaded.

Troy nodded and climbed into the jeep. "Let's shake it, the Captain wants answers."

This time Troy directed them out of the camp in a different direction. He planned to make a big circle around and approach the ambush site from the other side. As they rolled through the base, headed for the other gate, Tully thought that he saw Jed Gardner watching them. He turned for a second look but there was no one there.

They cleared the base and started their circle. As they reached the wadi, Troy had them split up and look for tracks before approaching. As before, the tracks suggested that the halftracks had been alone in the ambush. After following the tracks in reverse for a distance, Troy decided that there was nothing pointing to the vehicles having been part of a group. Still puzzled, Troy ordered them to complete their recon so they could get back to the base. The rest of their patrol was uneventful, the two halftracks being the only German activity they found. They searched the area around the base for the entire day, wanting to be sure that they didn't miss anything. It was getting dark when the jeeps rolled past the guards on the perimeter of the base.

Hitch waved at the sentry as they rolled past, getting a nod in return. He frowned suddenly as he noticed some furtive movement near some vehicles behind the guard. Swinging his jeep over that way, he tried to locate the figure he thought he'd seen lurking in the shadows.

"What are you doing Hitch?" Troy demanded of his driver.

"I saw somebody hanging in the shadows over here."

"Who?"

"I don't know Serge; I wanted to see if I could get a better look." The blond shook his head as he scanned the empty street. "I guess they left."

"Well let's get back to the motor pool; I want to see Captain Boggs before he leaves for the day."

Hitch nodded and pulled his jeep back onto the main road through the camp. He quickly caught up with Tully who had stopped to wait for him. Giving his friend a nod, they continued on to the motor pool.

"Service the jeeps and get them ready to go out again. We'll meet at the mess hall and grab something to eat before we turn in."

The two privates nodded and turned to their jeeps. Troy and Moffitt began their walk to the Captain's office.

"Isn't that the private who was talking to Tully and Hitch this morning?" Sam Troy spotted a soldier leaning against a wall watching them.

Moffitt glanced around but the soldier had hurried away. "I don't see anyone, but then, I didn't see anyone talking to Tully and Hitch this morning either." The Brit answered honestly.

"He took off as soon as he saw me coming; Tully said that I scared him off."

Moffitt smiled, "You do sometimes have that effect on people."

Troy smiled and shook his head. "That's exactly what Tully said."

"Great minds think alike." The Brit added with a mischievous smile.


	2. Chapter 2

**Someone's Watching You**

BY: AliasCWN

Chapter 2

The next morning:

"Ready to go?" Sam Troy and Jack Moffitt met the privates at the motor pool after getting their assignment for the day.

"Ready." Both privates responded.

"Missed you at breakfast Serge." Tully settled into the seat next to Moffitt.

"I ate early, I had to report to the doctor to get my scratch checked before we could go out."

"Scratch! A few inches to the side and you'd be singing a different tune." Tully scoffed.

"And a few inches the other way and we wouldn't be having this conversation at all." Moffitt smiled.

Tully laughed at the sergeant's logic and put his jeep in gear.

Mark Hitchcock pulled out ahead of him, leading the way under Troy's directions.

Tully fell in behind the other jeep, glancing around as they left the base. A movement near one of the buildings drew his eye. He got a quick glimpse of someone watching them as he drove past. He tried to catch Moffitt's attention without revealing his own interest, but the sergeant was preoccupied and didn't respond to his subtle signals. By the time Tully looked back the watcher was gone.

Hitch led the way off the base using the same route they had taken the day before. The two jeeps drove side by side, once again searching for any German activity. They passed the same wadi where the halftracks had hidden, all four of them glancing that way uneasily. This time there were no lumbering halftracks to chase them across the desert. The 'desert rats' let out a collective sigh of relief as the wadi disappeared behind them. They spent another fruitless day searching an empty desert for enemy activity that never materialized.

Scanning the flat land around them, Troy lowered is binoculars. "That's it, let's call it a day. We can tell the Captain that this sector looks clear."

Jack Moffitt nodded, his dark eyes squinting as he searched the same area. "I can't get those halftracks out of my mind. It doesn't make sense that they would be just sitting there waiting for an opportunity. What were they waiting for so close to the base?"

Troy shrugged. "I have no idea. Maybe they were spying on the base and when we came along they couldn't pass up a chance to get us."

"Maybe."

Troy paused to look at Moffitt. The British sergeant was still looking out over the desert. "But you aren't convinced?"

Moffitt bit his lip as he considered his answer. "Perhaps that is all it was, I don't know." He hesitated, looking toward the jeeps and the two privates patiently waiting. "Have you felt like we were being watched the last few days?'

"Not you too?" Troy laughed.

"Me too. What do you mean?"

Troy grew serious at the question. "Didn't Tully and Hitch tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

"They got this weird feeling after talking to some guy one of their friends brought around."

"And you think that they are wrong?"

"Heck, I don't know Moffitt. I thought I was just being paranoid because they were talking about it." He glanced down at the privates. "I guess I have had that feeling a time or two in the last few days. I just put it down to Tully teasing me about scaring everybody off."

"Maybe we should pay a bit more attention to our feelings; they've kept us alive this long." Turning to slide down the slope, Moffitt waited to finish his thoughts until Troy had joined him. "There is something going on out here and we just aren't seeing it; I have a bad feeling about all of this."

"Superstitious Moffitt?"

"No, just careful. Usually you're the one who has these odd feelings that precede trouble; maybe it's our turn."

"Okay Doctor, suppose you're right. Who do you think is watching us?"

"I don't know Troy, but I do know that I intend to keep my eyes open from here on out."

The two sergeants continued to the jeeps and took their seats.

"We're headed home. Tully, you, and Moffitt lead the way."

Tully nodded, rolling his matchstick to the other corner of his mouth. "Any special course you want me to take?"

"No, just take us home."

Tully led out, with Hitch staying behind and to one side. The sun beat down on the jeeps, heating the hard working engines. They were still miles from the base when Troy called a halt to cool the engines and refill the gas tanks and radiators.

Tully and Hitch took care of the jeeps while Troy and Moffitt kept watch. Moffitt's warning shout sent them all scurrying for cover.

"Planes!"

"Where?" Troy searched the bright blue sky for the tell-tale specks that had caught the eye of the British sergeant.

"There, high, coming out of the sun." Moffitt pointed to where he had spotted the planes.

"Their's or ours?"

"I can't tell for sure, but they looked German." Moffitt was using his binoculars to try to locate the planes again. All four men strained their ears for the sound of airplane engines.

"Tully, Hitch, throw nets over the jeeps."

"Won't do much good Serge." Tully said even as he moved to obey the order.

"Can't hurt." Troy replied. "Maybe they won't see our tracks; they're pretty high."

"They're searching for something Troy." Moffitt had located the dark specks and he was watching their flight path. The planes were flying side by side, swinging back and forth across the sky.

"They keep that up and they'll spot our tracks for sure." Troy agreed.

The four men sprawled in the shadows of the dunes and watched as the planes came closer and closer. One of the planes began to drop lower and lower, coming straight for them.

"Serge, I think he saw our tracks." Tully warned in a low voice.

"No need to whisper Tully, I don't think he can hear you." Moffitt offered in a normal tone.

"No, but I think he saw us." Mark Hitchcock called as the plane dropped even lower and started its run toward them.

The four men scattered, scrambling for whatever cover they could find. The plane dove in low, shooting at their darting shapes. The bullets tore at the ground between Hitchcock and Pettigrew. Troy dropped to his back and fired at it with his machine gun.

"Pull those nets!"

The two privates ran for the jeeps as the second plane started its run. Moffitt and Troy used their machine guns to fire at the fast moving target, not really expecting to do any damage. Both sergeants were surprised when the plane jerked up and spun to the side. They could see the pilot slumped over the controls as the aircraft turned onto its side and the wingtip caught in the sand. Almost in slow motion, the aircraft did a cartwheel, rolling onto its nose before the wing broke off. As it rolled onto the other wing the fuel tanks caught fire, sending a huge fireball into the air.

Troy and Moffitt watched its final moments play out, forgetting their own predicament for a few seconds.

"Serge!"

They jerked around as Hitch screamed at them. The first plane was coming around for another try. After seeing his wing mate go down in flames, the pilot now opted for dropping his bomb load. Lining up for the bomb run, he had to climb to get into position.

Both sergeants ran for their jeeps. The 50s mounted on the back were much more effective against the airplane than their machine guns. They both cleared their 50s as the privates put the jeeps in motion. As the plane began its glide to drop its bomb, the two jeeps split apart, each one going in a different direction.

Making his choice, the pilot turned to follow the jeep carrying Troy and Hitch. Hitch was dodging frantically but the faster plane was closing in. Tully and Moffitt had turned as soon as they realized that the plane was not after them. They were now chasing the aircraft, shooting at its belly, trying to damage the plane or distract the pilot. The pilot ignored them and continued after the other jeep.

When Tully saw the bomb start to drop he swerved sharply, putting distance between them and the upcoming explosion. Moffitt fought to keep his balance, still trying to aim at the plane. The last thing he saw before the desert erupted into a huge cloud of dust was the plane shutter and wobble as the bullets found their mark.

Shaking his head to try to clear his ears, Moffitt searched the desert for the other jeep. The plane, he saw, was trying to gain altitude while trailing a line of thick oily smoke. The engines were coughing and sputtering as the pilot ask for more power. His eyes were still following the plane when Tully gave a shout and swerved the jeep. Moffitt clung to the handles of the 50 for support as he tried to peer through the dust still hanging in the air.

The figure rising up out of the sand looked like something from another planet. Moffitt had to take a second look to determine that it was Troy. Covered from head to toe in fine dust, his face and hair blended perfectly with the rest of him; everything blended with the sand around him.

Wiping his hands across his face to get some of the sand out of his nose and mouth, he staggered toward the jeep. Tully pulled up next to him and Moffitt jumped out.

"Where's Hitch?"

"I haven't seen him." Moffitt replied, easing Troy to the ground. A cry from Tully drew his attention; he was kneeling over another sand colored mound. Troy tried to climb to his feet but Moffitt pushed down on his shoulders. "Stay here; I'll go check on Hitch." Once Troy reluctantly nodded, Moffitt ran to Tully.

Hitch was coming around as Moffitt dropped to his knees beside him. The blond blinked repeatedly, shaking his head from side to side.

"Serge?"

"He's okay Tully, just shaken up." Moffitt assured Tully. "How are you feeling Hitch?"

"Okay, just shaken up." The blond replied with a forced smile. "What about the jeep?"

"I'll take a look." Tully offered, getting to his feet now that Moffitt was there.

"What about the plane?" Hitch asked in a shaky voice.

"I don't think it will bother us anymore today." Moffitt answered as he checked the private for injuries.

"I'm all right." Hitch told him impatiently, trying to push him away. "I'd better go help Tully with the jeep."

"You and Troy should both just relax and rest. Let Tully and I worry about the jeep." Moffitt helped Hitch to his feet and helped him over to sit next to Tully's jeep. Reaching into the back, he pulled out a canteen. "Here, take a drink, rest and stay quiet. You and Troy can keep an eye out for company while we work on the jeep. That plane is sending up enough smoke to be seen for miles."

Hitchcock nodded and reached for the water. Moffitt returned for Troy and helped him to sit next to Hitchcock. Easing him to the ground, he took the canteen that Hitch handed him and gave it to Troy. "I'll be back to check on you. Yell if you need anything." Both men nodded, still too shaken to offer anything but token resistance.

Now that the dust was settling, Moffitt could see Tully checking the second jeep. Troy's jeep was lying on its side, the top wheels still spinning lazily. Walking over, he waited for Tully to notice him.

"How does it look?"

Tully glanced over at him, a thoughtful look on his face. "Not too bad Serge. I'll know more once we set her up but it doesn't look like there is any major damage."

Moffitt nodded, relieved; four men in one jeep meant slow travel and someone walking.

"Are we ready to set her up then?"

Tully glanced at the jeep again, his eyes running along the frame. He rolled his matchstick around in his mouth, thinking hard. "Yeah, I guess, I don't see any leaks or anything." He looked up at Moffitt. "Are Serge and Hitch okay? It's probably going to take all of us to tip her back up onto her wheels."

Moffitt glanced back toward the two men who were leaning against the wheel of the other jeep. "Could we dig some of the sand away from the wheels and tip it easier that way?"

"Sure, I guess so." Tully considered the plan, eyeing the jeep critically. "I'll go find some shovels."

The two men dug around the wheels until the jeep slid into the depressions they made. Sitting at an angle, the tires in the trench, made it easier to tilt back onto its wheels. Moffitt returned to check on his patients while Tully finished his inspection of their second jeep.

Hitchcock and Troy were both looking better after drinking water and resting for a while.

"You know Moffitt, this reminds me of the conversation that we had earlier." Troy looked up at Moffitt as he stood over them. "I don't like coincidences; they make me nervous."

"Really?"

"Really." Troy stated positively. "I think that this is going to require some investigation."


	3. Chapter 3

**Someone's Watching You**

By: AliasCWN

Chapter 3

The jeeps rolled into the base well before dark. The guard at the gate, new to the base, didn't recognize them. He called to them to halt while he checked their credentials. While Troy was dealing with the sentry, Hitch glanced around; the base seemed normal, people going about their business like any other day. He checked the area where he had thought that he had seen someone the previous day, but there was no one there. Shifting uneasily in his seat, he tried to shake the feeling that they were being watched. Glancing over at Tully, he nodded when he saw Tully watching him. Tully winked and rolled his matchstick to the other corner of his mouth.

Hitch yearned for some bubble gum, his vice of choice. Supply had been out when he went to pick up their supplies and he had chewed his last piece the day before. Deciding that the lack of gum might be making him edgy, he vowed to check his quarters to see if he had left any lying around. The gum was still foremost in his thoughts when Troy slapped him on the shoulder and motioned for him to move out.

"Drop us off at headquarters and take the jeeps to the motor pool. We'll meet for supper after we give Captain Boggs our report."

"Do we have time to grab showers first?" Hitchcock asked, thinking that a hot, or even a warm, shower might help relieve the stress he was feeling.

"Good idea. We'll meet at your quarters after we finish with the Captain."

The sergeants got out at headquarters and the privates continued on to the motor pool.

Hitch asked the mechanics to go over his jeep completely, explaining about nearly being blown up. Tully made arrangements to have his checked, just in case. They restocked their supplies and refilled their spare gas and water cans. Finished with their preparations, Hitch started to walk away, leaving Tully standing alone.

"Where are you going?"

"I have something I have to do."

Tully eyed his friend carefully, concerned about him after his close call. "Something wrong Hitch? Are you okay?"

The blond glanced around the motor pool, but no one was paying any attention to them. Lowering his voice, he stepped closer to Tully. "Do things seem a little strange to you lately?"

"Strange?"

Hitch glanced around again. "Yeah. I don't know Tully; I can't shake this feeling that we are being watched. I'm all right while we are out on patrol but as soon as we get back to the base the hairs on the back of my neck start standing on end….And I thought that I saw something, or someone, yesterday when we got back."

"Hitch."

"I mean it Tully. I know it sounds crazy, but it's driving me crazy, I can't help it. You don't believe me." The blond stated, shaking his head.

"I didn't say that."

"It's all right Tully; I know how crazy it sounds."

"Like halftracks waiting for us where they don't belong?...Or planes searching an empty desert where we just happen to be patrolling?"

Hitch paused to look at Tully. "Yeah, like that." He started walking again, determination in every line of his body.

"Where are you going?"

"To talk to Danny Prentiss."

"Going to ask him how long he's known his friend Jed Gardner?"

Hitch stopped again to stare at Tully. The Kentuckian had a feral smile on his face.

"You do believe me!"

"I'm pretty sure that I saw Gardner watching us leave the base yesterday. When he saw me looking, he ducked out of sight. He knew which way we headed when we left."

"He could have sent a message telling someone where to watch for us."

"Possible." Tully acknowledged.

"Then I want to talk to Danny."

"Not alone, you're not; I think we need to stick together until we get to the bottom of this."

"Okay, where do we start?"

Tully looked around, making sure that they were alone. "I think we need to talk to Serge and Moffitt; tell them about our suspicions. Maybe they can talk to Captain Boggs and get Gardner checked out."

"Okay, let's go." The blond agreed.

"Not so fast Hitch." Tully reached for his friend's arm. "We don't want to tip off Gardner, just in case he's watching. There's no rush, we aren't leaving the base any more tonight. We'll talk to Serge and Moffitt after supper when we have some privacy."

Nodding reluctantly, Hitch allowed Tully to take the lead as they headed for their quarters. He occupied himself with searching for more gum while they waited for the sergeants.

The walk to the showers was quiet; all four of them lost in their own thoughts. Hitch was wondering if he had overreacted because his nerves were strung so tight. The showers weren't hot, barely warm even, but they did remove most of the ground in grime. He was feeling better by the time the last of the water dripped off his body.

He stretched his muscles, finding some new sore spots from the close call he'd had on patrol. Toweling off, he pulled on his pants and paused to examine the dark bruises that had formed on his arms and ribs. His head still ached and his ears still rang from the force of the blast.

"Hitch, are you all right? You didn't drown in there, did you?" Tully called to him from outside, obviously finished with his own shower and ready to return to their quarters.

Hitch threw his shirt across one shoulder and stepped out of the shower.

"Hey!" Tully's face lost its smile as he noticed the deep purple splotches on Hitch's arms and chest. "Are you okay?"

Troy and Moffitt, standing nearby, spun at Tully's question to look at the privates. Troy noted the bruises.

"Do we need to stop by medical?"

"No Serge, I'm okay, just sore. Nothing that hasn't happened before." Hitch tried to shrug it off, embarrassed at all the attention he was getting.

"We're a matching set." Troy grinned, putting his driver at ease. He slid his towel off of his torso to reveal a deep purple bruise that covered most of his shoulder. At the startled look on the youth's face, he hurried to assure him that he was fine. "It's not broken, just bruised; it will be sore for a while but I'll live."

"You were both lucky." Moffitt growled in mock anger.

"Yeah, next time, be more careful." Tully mocked.

"I'm hungry." Hitchcock interrupted the laughter with his pronouncement.

"You're always hungry." Tully grinned, bumping his shoulder gently into his friend's arm.

"Let's feed him before he gets cranky." Moffitt suggested as he watched his friends laugh.

"Too late." Tully announced as he ducked the half-hearted swing Hitch took at him.

The laughter died and everyone headed for their quarters; the memory of their close call too recent to forget completely.

"Fifteen minutes in front of the mess hall." Troy called as the group split up to go to their separate quarters.

"Got it Serge." Tully called back. He watched Hitch's back as the blond climbed the stairs to their quarters. "Still worried?"

"Still feel like we're being watched." The other private responded.

"Me too Hitch, but Serge will know what to do."

Fifteen minutes later Tully and Hitch arrived at the mess hall to find Troy and Moffitt waiting for them. Troy led the way inside, glancing behind them as they entered. "We'll take that table over there by the window." He called a bit too loudly as if trying to talk over someone else.

Tully and Hitch exchanged startled looks but nodded mutely. The four men waited in line quietly, listening to the conversations around them until it was their turn to fill their trays.

"Serge, there's a closer table empty." Hitch suggested.

"No, I want to sit by the window; I like the natural light to eat by, it makes it easier to figure out what it is that I'm eating."

"Good luck with that." Tully grumbled.

"Why would you want to know?" Hitch asked at the same time.

"Natural light helps your digestive tract." Moffitt explained for their benefit.

"Nothing helps digest this stuff." Hitch complained.

"Are you all right Hitch?" Moffitt paused to study the private. "You seem out of sorts."

"Just a headache Doc, nothing to worry about."

"I'm not surprised; you were shaken up quite a bit by that bomb."

"Yeah." The blond replied, falling silent.

They took their seats by the open window with Troy sitting closest to the opening. With his back to the window, Troy began to eat.

Hitch stared at his plate, his appetite gone now that he actually had the food in front of him.

"Did you get the jeeps ready?"

Hitch looked up in surprise. "Yeah Serge, we resupplied and told the guys in the motor pool to check them over."

"Tell them again as soon as we are done here. Tell them we need the jeeps bright and early. If they have a problem they can call Captain Boggs but they have to do it right away because the Captain has a meeting in an hour and won't be back in his office until tomorrow."

Tully and Hitch hesitated, not sure what was going on. "They were checking them when we left Serge, do you want them to check them again?"

"No." Troy shook his head, "As long as you are sure that they went over them carefully. We are going out again tomorrow but there may be another assignment for us on top of that. Captain Boggs let something slip while we were talking to him; there's something about to happen. We saw some maps and plans on his desk before he covered them up."

Hitch and Tully looked at the open window uneasily. Troy was speaking louder than normal, not even trying to keep his voice down.

"Serge, we need to talk." Hitch tried to forestall the sergeant before he could reveal any more information. "Tully and I think that something is wrong."

"What do you mean Hitch?" Moffitt asked.

The blond glanced around nervously. "We think we're being watched." He explained in a low whisper.

"I'm sure it's just your imagination Hitch. You've been kept pretty busy lately; you probably just need a little break." The British sergeant rushed to downplay their concerns.

"But Serge!"

"Moffitt's right," Troy agreed, "after our patrol tomorrow I'll talk to Captain Boggs about getting some leave to relax a bit." Troy collected his plate and stood up. "We're heading out early tomorrow; we need to check the sector directly to the east next. Head back to your quarters and get some sleep. That's an order, straight to your quarters and stay there."

"But Serge!"

"Hitch!"

Troy and Moffitt took their trays and walked away, leaving the two privates staring after them. With a shrug and a meaningful glance toward the window, Tully followed them. Hitch had no choice but to do the same.

"I don't like it Tully!"

"You don't have to like it Hitch, you just have to follow orders. Serge said to go straight back to our quarters and stay there. That's what we need to do."

"Don't you think that he's acting a bit strange too?" Hitch jumped in front of him and stopped, facing him.

Tully halted, looking into the other's wild eyes, trying to decide how to explain something he wasn't sure he understood himself.

"Look Hitch, Serge gave us an order. We have to trust them to give the orders; they have to trust us to follow them."

"But that wasn't like Serge at all! Since when does he sit by an open window and talk about things he saw in the Captain's office? Serge is as tight lipped as a clam, you know that!"

"Keep your voice down." Tully warned quietly. "Maybe Serge is feeling the effects of the blast. You both got your brains scrambled pretty good. I noticed that you were both real quiet coming home afterwards."

"We were shook up, sure, but we still know what we're doing; at least I do. Right now, I'm not so sure about Serge." The blond added in a worried tone.

"Moffitt didn't appear to be too concerned." Tully observed. "You trust Serge, don't you?"

"Of course!" Hitch replied indignantly.

"Then trust him Hitch. Like you said; something is going on around here; and I'm not sure that you and I are in on the secret."

Hitch hesitated, that possibility made more sense than anything else that had happened all day. "Okay Tully, but we have to keep our eyes open."

"Yeah, but let's discuss this someplace more private."

"Serge said to go to our quarters. I don't know about you, but I know I'm tired. I ache all over." Hitch yawned to prove his point.

"Then let's turn in and see what tomorrow brings."


	4. Chapter 4

**Someone's Watching You**

By: AliasCWN

Chapter 4

"We're heading east; the Captain wants to be sure that that sector is clear." Troy called to Hitch and Tully while he was still yards away. "Tully, take us on a direct path to the Darawa Oasis and we'll work our way back from there."

Tully nodded, chewing furiously on the matchstick he had just put in his mouth. Hitch looked over as Tully put his jeep in gear. Tully shrugged at the blond and hit the gas, leaving the base by the most direct route, as ordered.

Troy rode in silence, his attention on the desert around them. He could feel his driver's eyes on him as he searched the terrain ahead for enemy activity. "Keep your eyes on your driving Hitch, I have a feeling we may not be alone out here." Troy looked for the other jeep and found Moffitt watching him too. With a forced smile he indicated that all was well. Moffitt tipped his head toward Tully and gave Troy a shrug. Troy sighed and waved it off, not yet ready to talk to his privates.

"Tully, give me a heads up when we get close to the oasis." Troy called across to the other jeep. Tully looked over and nodded, his eyes hidden behind his goggles. Troy could feel the tension radiating from both of the drivers. They continued their search of the desert along the straight line to the oasis. Troy really didn't expect trouble until they got closer but his own nerves were on edge too.

"Serge."

Tully slowed the jeep to come alongside, his eyes on the desert ahead of them. "The oasis is about two miles ahead but I think I saw dust over to our right."

"Dust to our left too." Hitch called without slowing the jeep.

"Looks like they aren't taking any chances this time." Moffitt called, pointing to their rear. Troy glanced back to see a trail of dust following them.

"All right Tully, take us to the oasis." The sergeant called, leaping into the back of the jeep to man the 50. He lowered the barrel and Hitch reached up to remove the dust cover.

"If they knew we were coming, they'll know we were headed for the oasis." The blond yelled over his shoulder, his focus on his driving.

"That's the plan." Troy called back.

"But Serge, they'll be waiting for us there!"

"I hope so!" The sergeant answered as he opened fire with the 50.

Hitch put on a burst of speed to catch up to Tully. Side by side the two jeeps bounced across the sand, their 50s discouraging the pursuing German patrol cars from closing the gap. The dust to the sides got closer to reveal halftracks trying to keep up with the faster jeeps. Hitch and Tully split up and began dodging as the halftracks joined the fight. The jeeps soon outdistanced the heavier vehicles but as they tried to swerve to the side, more halftracks left their concealment in the wadis they were passing. The new halftracks pushed them forward, toward the oasis.

Troy saw Tully's jeep jerk and swerve before returning to its former course. Shell casings from Moffitt's gun were falling behind the jeep in a bright shiny trail in the sand. His own 50 clicked on empty, forcing him to pause long enough to grab another belt of ammunition and layer it into the ammo box. He cleared the gun and resumed firing as Moffitt paused to reload.

Hitch swung the jeep sharply to the side as a shell from one of the halftracks exploded next to them. Shrapnel peppered the metal side of the jeep as Troy braced to keep his balance. Troy felt a bee sting like pain in his leg as Hitch swerved again.

The halftracks were crowding them, forcing them to head for the oasis for shelter. Tully cut in front, trying to break free of the trap.

"Tully, go on in!" Troy yelled as Moffitt leaned down to tell him the same thing. Troy could see Tully's jaw tighten as he bit down on his matchstick and obeyed the order.

The walls of the dunes around the oasis seemed to close in on them as they entered. Tully pulled his jeep behind some sand bag walls left behind by troops who had occupied the oasis earlier. Hitch slid to a stop behind him, jumping from his jeep to grab a machine gun from its holder on the fender.

Now that their quarry was trapped, the Germans advanced more slowly, mindful of the deadly accuracy of the 50 caliber machine guns. They circle the oasis and closed the net around the outnumbered 'rats'.

Troy held his position, squatting behind the heavy gun, his eyes darting in all directions.

As they waited, a German officer climbed out of one of the halftracks and walked toward them. Producing a bullhorn, he called to the trapped team.

"Sergeant Troy, you, and your men are surrounded. If you surrender, Captain Dietrich has promised that you will be treated humanely."

"Yeah, they'll shoot us and put us out of our misery." Hitch mumbled under his breath.

Troy glanced over at his driver and smiled. "We aren't done yet Hitch."

"I hope not." The blond responded, gripping his weapon tightly. "I, for one, don't want to give up this easily."

"Sergeant, I need an answer." The German called impatiently.

"Give me a minute to think about it." Troy called back.

"One minute Sergeant, and then we come in after you." The officer conceded.

"Is everybody ready?" Troy looked over his men, checking their weapons and positions.

"Ready." Moffitt answered coolly.

"Ready for what?" Tully asked, confused.

The Germans suddenly began ducking and running for cover as they came under attack themselves. A tank shell hit one of the halftracks, sending it bouncing into the air before it settled to the ground, burning fiercely. A ring of tanks and heavily loaded trucks appeared out of the wadis around the oasis. Some still sported the camo nets they had used to conceal their presence. Men poured from the rear of the trucks, dropping to the sand to cover the German troops.

Troy remained alert but he could tell the minute the Germans realized that they were caught. One of the halftracks tried to make a run for it, taking a direct hit from a tank as it fled across the desert. The officer in charge ordered his men to drop their weapons and walk away from their vehicles. Slowly they placed their weapons on the ground and raised their hands. They were rounded up by the American troops, searched, and loaded into the trucks.

Moffitt sighed as the last of them were corralled. "That does that. Now maybe I can look at Tully's arm and your leg." The Brit turned to Troy with a weary smile.

Troy glanced down at his leg, surprised to see the blood. "I forgot about that. It's just a small piece of shrapnel, nothing serious. I can pull it out with my fingers." He tugged on the small sliver of metal sticking out of his thigh and held it up. "Nothing to worry about." He repeated.

Moffitt knelt to take a quick look and nodded his head in agreement. "What about you Tully?"

"Nothing to worry about." Tully repeated Troy's explanation. "I think a bullet grazed me, but it barely broke the skin." He held his arm out for Moffitt to see.

"You were both lucky." The Brit pronounced after examining the wound.

"Where have we heard that before?" Hitch asked with a grin. "Take your own advice Tully, next time be more careful." The look in his blue eyes belied his teasing comment.

"Why don't we go home?" Troy asked his team.

The Rat Patrol followed the column back to the base. Their own tanks and the captured halftracks made it necessary to maintain a slow pace. Troy kept his jeeps circling the column to make sure that the Germans didn't have any more surprises waiting for them. They drove onto the base by the same gate they left through that morning. Troy glanced around, looking for a certain soldier, but there was no one watching them. They reported directly to Captain Boggs.

"How did it go Sergeant?" The Captain asked as soon as the four men were shown into his office.

"Just about a how we expected Sir." Troy replied. "They were expecting us. They had patrol cars and halftracks waiting for us just this side of the oasis. Lt. Trip and his men managed to capture most of them; two halftracks were destroyed before the rest surrendered."

The Captain nodded, having expected that answer. "We watched Pvt. Gardner listen to your conversation outside the mess hall. He stood right outside the window while you talked. He was also watching when you left this morning. He also entered my office last night and photographed the maps and papers on my desk. We waited until he had sent that information out with his contact before we approached him. He started talking as soon as he was arrested." The Captain sighed as he settled into his chair and continued. "It seems that his parents emigrated from Germany when they were young. Both parents wanted to go back after the war broke out but they didn't have the resources. Pvt. Gardner decided to enlist in the army and let the US Government return him to his native country. He thought he could just switch sides once he got here. Unfortunately for him, the Germans had other ideas. When he tried to switch sides, they talked him into coming back here and spying for them instead. He would have been better of fighting with them. The MPs have him now and he shouldn't cause any more trouble. He has been cooperating with our investigation."

Troy chuckled, his eyes lighting up with humor. "I would love to be a fly on the wall when the Germans realize that those maps and plans were fake."

The Captain smiled too. "Those plans will have them scrambling all over the place until they figure it out. I can just imagine their reaction when they realize that they've been duped." Just the thought of it made him laugh. "Good work Sergeant. You're dismissed. Why don't you and your men take a few days off, you've earned it."

Troy and the others stepped outside onto the street. Troy paused, facing his men.

"Hitch, Tully, I owe you an apology."

"We owe you an apology." Moffitt corrected. Troy glanced at his fellow sergeant and nodded.

"We didn't mean to make light of your warning about being watched. It's just that, we had already figured it out for ourselves and had already talked to Captain Boggs about it. We were pretty sure that Gardner was listening to our conversation; I had seen him following us until we went inside. We couldn't let you spoil everything by letting him know that we suspected him."

"That's okay Serge," Hitch responded, grinning at Tully, "we trusted you to know what to do."

"Yep," Tully agreed, winking at Hitch. "That's why we let you give the orders."

"Let me?" Troy growled. "Who wears the stripes around here anyway?"

"Not you Serge," Hitch laughed," maybe some sergeants do, but not you."

Troy pulled the red cap off his drivers head and hit him on the shoulder with it. Tossing it back to him, he started walking away. "We'll just see who gives the orders around here; I think that I need to find you two something to do."

Hitch and Tully hurried to keep up with him, protesting that they had plenty of work to keep them busy. Moffitt watched them go with a twinkle in his eyes. Shaking his head, he hurried to catch up with them, the privates still pleading their case as they made their way across the base.


End file.
